Neo Geo Pocket Reviews N-Z

According to my site it's been five years since I last posted a Neo Geo Portable (NGP) review. That is criminal. So I picked up my little light-blue NGP and hit the power button. It came right on! The batteries are still working! The screen looks a bit dark but that's because my system isn't back-lit (*sad face*). So I cranked up the lights and discovered a little tennis game that plays like a champ! Unlike so many convoluted modern tennis titles Pocket Tennis Color is pure pick-up-and-play. You choose from nine anime-style players and five "fantasy" courts. The courts are colorful but not particularly interesting. Each is about one screen in size but the screen still scrolls to keep the ball in the center. The controls are refreshingly simple with a hit button and a lob shot. Holding in a direction when you strike the ball lets you aim to some degree. Your player automatically dives if the ball's a bit out of reach, or smashes a lob if it's in his wheelhouse. On the downside you can't really execute any fancy moves or wide-angle shots, so the volleys tend to be predictable. Pocket Tennis Color has a great tournament mode. The idea of playing full sets over multiple rounds might seem a bit much on a handheld, but the matches progress quickly because the game doesn't waste your time with victory animations or replays. It would however be nice if it showed the score between games. And is there a reason why the court changes color halfway through each match? When I reached the finals I was surprised to see my next opponent was a red blob called "Amiba". I beat him pretty easily, which is probably why you don't see many single-celled organisms in professional tennis. I was then presented with the Delta cup dated 4-12-2020. Hey wait - that's today! Sure enough the system has a clock! I expect to win many more cups in the future because Pocket Tennis Color may be the most sensible tennis game I've ever played. © Copyright 2020 The Video Game Critic.

I've always been a big Sonic fan, and Sonic Pocket Adventure really captures the spirit of those classic games on the Genesis. In fact, these stages are basically modified versions of those from the original Sonic games. If you've already played through those old games, this one will seem awfully familiar, but if you're new to the series, you're in for a treat. What makes Sonic so great is his exhilarating speed. Although there is a certain amount of precision platform jumping, you'll spend much of the time watching your hedgehog whip through corkscrews, tunnels, and loops, collecting rings and plowing through enemies along the way. As you would expect from a Sonic game, the graphics are sharp and the colors vibrant, although the curves are surprisingly angular in this version. The levels could be better designed. Many seem to double-back on themselves, making it tough to tell which direction to head next. And it's always frustrating to fall off the "bottom" on the screen. One great feature is the inclusion of 3D half-pipe sequence (first seen in Sonic 2) which you play between stages. This fun bonus stage challenges you to collect a certain number of rings while avoiding bombs. At first, Pocket Adventure seemed like a bit of a rehash to me, but then I discovered a few extra modes that take the game to the next level. A time trial mode challenges you to clear each stage in the fastest time, and the best times are recorded. There's also a variation that requires you to collect 50 rings before finishing, which really changes your approach. As you progress through the stages, you collect puzzle pieces you can assemble in the puzzle mode. There's even a two-player duel mode. Sega threw in everything but the kitchen sink. If you're looking for platform action on the Neo Geo Pocket, you can't go wrong with Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure. © Copyright 2004 The Video Game Critic.